I continue to be a bit grumpy about the Corrado market. Recently I recounted my story of encountering the Corrado G60, deciding ultimately that today it’s not the car I lust after. In part that’s because of its more desirable replacement, the SLC. Yet I have issues with that model as well, speaking back in July about not only how these cars were expensive when new, but often nice examples have pretty ridiculous asking prices vis-Ã -vis what you’re getting compared to alternatives today.
That brings us to today’s 1992 Corrado SLC. It presents better than most on the market today with only 74,750 miles. It’s a nice color combination of all black and wears the original BBS wheels. Unusually for these cars, there’s even what appears to be a pretty solid history of maintenance and a detailed hand-written log. Sounds great? Well, then there’s the price…
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1992 Volkswagen Corrado SLC on eBay
Year: 1992
Model: Corrado SLC
Engine: 2.8 liter narrow-angle VR6
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 74,750 mi
Price: $17,900 Buy It Now
1992 VW Corrado SLC with 74k miles in excellent condition. All original and well maintained. I have a copy of every repair, service and even gas fill up since day one. 3rd owner, no accidents. The only part on the car that was painted is the hood because of regular wear and tear back in 2007. Car runs and drives great. This is one of the nicest, most original Corrados you will find. More details available upon request. Serious inquiries only.
Some of the most recent repairs include:66664 mile
-serpentine belt
-oil cooler gaskets68994 miles
-brake pads, rotors
-front left wheel bearing
-rear shocks and bump stops
-alignment69985 miles
-front struts
-right front wheel bearing70390 miles
-left front ABS speed sensor
-right front ABS speed sensor71700 miles
-heater core72200 miles
-wiper blades73284 miles
-15w-40 oil change
-filter74692 miles
-water pump
-hood foam
-fuel filter
-air filter
-4 Toyo tires74743 miles
-spark plugs
-ignition wires
-distributor cap
-distributor rotor
Is this car worth $18,000? I can’t imagine so, as I haven’t seen a Corrado actually sell for anything like that amount. The price just seems completely out-of-line with the current market. In fact, most only sell around 1/3rd that asking price. Obviously condition is really nice and this one has lower mileage, but still, it just feels like an outrageous premium. But here’s the really crazy part. There are a bunch of Corrado SLCs in nice shape up for sale now, and of the really notable ones, this one is the cheapest! Lux Sport has another very nice but not perfect 1992 with 95,000 miles listed at a coffee away from $20,000, while Ryan Friedman Motor Cars has the audacity to list another ’92 – with no pictures – at $22,000.
I’m sure they’re all very nice cars, and I certainly respect that you can ask whatever you want for your pride and joy. The condition and history of the feature car here seems particularly outstanding. But consider that for the asking price of these cars, you can get yourself into several other cars that competed against the Corrado when new and will pretty soundly outperform it today; a very clean E36 M3 or a nice 968 6-speed. If you’re willing to go newer, $20,000 will give or take get you into a really nice 2001 BMW M3, a 2004 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG, a 2000 BMW M Coupe, even a 2006 Porsche Cayman S. As I said back in August 2017 when considering another SLC, when someone actually buys it, that’s what it’s worth. And no one will be buying these three Corrados today, or likely anytime soon.
-Carter
I had a Corrado (a G60) bought new and loved it. It was a blast to drive, extremely roomy inside (for how tiny it was outside), handled like a dream and good with gas. I almost traded it on a SLC but the numbers didn’t work out. A few years later I bought a used E30 325is. Sold the Corrado not long after. The BMW was superior in every aspect and although I missed the Corrado for a little bit, it never crossed my mind to get another one. I own two 3 series (E46 ZHP and E90 335i) and for $17,900 I would be looking at an E46 ZHP instead.
I had a G60 for about 1.5 years back in the mid 1990s. Loved the looks, interior, handling, but it was a tad slow. My motivation to finally sell it was my absolute hatred of the automatic seatbelts. What a stupid short sighted stop gap from the 90s that all the automakers were implementing.
I’m a huge fan of the corrado, and currently own one, but you are right, when you’re in the $18k range there are so many options for great cars: ‘04 VW R32, E46 M3, E36 M3, 968, Cayman, and probably even an early 00’s 911.